The way we produce, process, transport, sell and dispose of food lies at the heart of so many of our major problems.
- Climate change? As much as half of all emissions relate to the food system.
- Biodiversity loss? Land use change linked to agriculture is the major cause.
- Diabetes and obesity? Look at what we eat, drink and feed our children.
- Poverty, hunger and inequality? The food system has become so focused on profit that we've lost sight of what really matters.
- Facing the impacts of cheap imports on one side and the power of the supermarket duopoly on the other, farmers are leaving the land at the rate of 7 a day and some are now taking food handouts. Foodbank Australia has seen demand for emergency food rise 400% since 2004.
Our food system is in crisis. Some say it's broken. We can and must do better.
Victorians want to support our local producers and food businesses. Look how we rallied to support SPC when it was about to go bankrupt. In other places, governments act on this community sentiment and pass laws and allocate resources to help farmers become more viable, support local jobs, educate kids about healthy eating habits, and support community gardens and urban agriculture. A couple of months ago the US Dept of Agriculture allocated $78m to Local Food projects like farmers markets. Late last year, the Province of Ontario passed a Local Food Act and allocated $30m to Local Food.
In this year's Victorian election, we are calling on all candidates and parties to commit to a Local Food Act and Fund for Victoria.
We want:
In this year's Victorian election, we are calling on all candidates and parties to commit to a Local Food Act and Fund for Victoria.
We want:
- Protection of High-Value Agricultural Land (from housing development and coal-seam gas fracking and other forms of mining)
- An enabling framework for urban agriculture in Victoria's towns and cities
- Creation of a $10m Local Food Fund to support community and local food projects around the state
- An inter-departmental Ministerial Food Forum to ensure strategic and coherent thinking about food and agriculture
- A full community inquiry into the state of Victoria's local food economy and system, leading to comprehensive law reform proposals
